Banana-Pecan Muffins

I hope everyone had a fabulous Halloween! We tried the "Switch Witch" thing for the first time this year. My daughter was able to go out and trick-or-treat like everyone else, but at the end of the night she left her candy out for Switch Witch, who swooped in while she was sleeping, took her garbage candy ("to feed to her naughty cat") and left, in it's place, good quality candy that I don't have to worry about her eating. No dyes, no preservatives, etc. It worked like a charm and my kiddo didn't have to feel left out of the Halloween festivities! The junk candy went to work with my husband who left it out in the breakroom for his co-workers. 

The morning after Halloween I made these fantastic muffins because I wanted to use the tons of pecans falling from the tree in my front yard right now! I seriously have three buckets full of pecans and at least three or four dozen more pecans fall from the tree every day. I love pecans, so I'm in heaven! I can't wait to make pies. If you don't have pecans, or they are too expensive, any nut will do. Or you can replace the nuts in the streusel topping with oatmeal, which is super cheap. Feel free to be creative!

Also, my daughter (who is a really picky eater) absolutely LOVED these! She ate two for breakfast, then came home after school and ate four more. If you have kids, you might want to make a double batch.

1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond)

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 2/3 cups flour (I used white whole-wheat)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/3 cup vegan butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar (organic preferred)

1/4 cup vegan yogurt (I used unsweetened coconut yogurt)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large overripe bananas, mashed

1 cup pecan pieces

1/2 cup brown sugar (organic preferred)

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12-muffin tin or place paper liners in it.
• In a small bowl, whisk the milk and vinegar together and set aside to allow it to curdle.
• Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about two minutes or so. 
• Add yogurt, milk and vinegar mixture, and vanilla. Mix well. 
• Add bananas and mix again.
• On top of your soft mix, dump the dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Then stir with a spoon or beat gently until well-incorporated, but take care not to overmix or your muffins will be tough.
• Spoon the batter into your muffin tin, filling each cup almost to the top. I did two scoops into each cup with a large cookie scoop, and that worked perfectly. 
• In a separate bowl, mix your nuts or oats with the brown sugar and spoon it onto the tops of your muffins. 
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
• Enjoy!

Portobello Sloppy Joe's

Hey friends! It's been a long time since I posted on this blog, but that's all about to change. If you followed my summer adventures on the blog, The Thinking Spoon, you will know that I had surgery to remove a rare and fast-growing 4.5x5cm tumor from my left breast. The surgery wasn't too bad at all, but I suffered severe bronchitis and a disgusting staph infection on my leg afterward. So, it's not been the greatest summer. I'm still weak and I've put on a lot of weight from all my time spent convalescing, but I'm finally starting to perk up. And I'm ready to reclaim my health! The recipes that I will feature from here on out will focus on maximizing nutritional benefits. I need to lose weight, get strong, and make darn sure I don't wind up with another cancer scare. I hope you'll come along with me and offer your support and suggestions along the way. I love hearing from you guys! So, let's get started with a new recipe in a new year from a new gonna-get-healthy Jen. 

In the South we like our Sloppy Joe's kind of sweet, with a maple-y BBQ flavor. If you prefer them more on the savory side, leave out the sugar and ketchup, and just add an extra tablespoon or so of tomato paste, along with some savory spices of your choosing. You can't mess this one up. Just taste as you go and you'll end up with something fun, yummy, and really, really messy on your plate, which is why they have the word "sloppy" right there in the title.
I topped mine with homemade pico de gallo, but I think pickled jalapenos or just straight-up lettuce and tomato would be nice too. My husband likes to spritz his with classic hot sauce and my daughter likes to eat hers on tortilla chips. You seriously can't go wrong. I hope you enjoy these!
<1 pound portobello mushroom caps, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 large sweet onion, small dice 1 large red bell pepper, small dice 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cheap beer, divided

1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional, depending on your budget)

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon sugar

A few drops of liquid smoke

Salt and pepper, to taste

6 hamburger buns

Toppings of your choice (homemade pico de gallo is pictured)

• Whirl the mushrooms in batches in a food processor until very finely chopped, scraping the sides as needed to incorporate larger chunks. Don't pulse them so long that they liquify.
• Drizzle oil into a hot cast iron skillet. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add 1 tablespoon of the beer and continue to cook for a few minutes more.
• Add walnuts and red bell pepper to the pan, along with an additional tablespoon of beer, and cook until the pepper pieces are tender.
• Add the mushrooms and cook until soft and well-incorporated.
• Add all remaining ingredients, except buns and toppings (d'uh). Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a taste and consistency that you like. Feel free to fiddle with the flavors, add some other spices, or jazz it up any way you like it. 
• When you get it where you want it, turn off the heat and allow the mixture to rest a few minutes. It will thicken a bit as it rests.
• Spoon onto toasted buns and top with your favorite stuff. 
• Enjoy!

Easiest, Yummiest Mac and Cheese

It's finally Autumn in North Texas, my favorite time of year! After another brutally hot summer, it's finally cool enough to open the windows and let some crispy fresh air come inside. Even better, it's pouring down sweet, much-needed rain right now. I have the house to myself. And I'm catching up on both my cleaning and my Netflix queue. It's a great day! Of course, a great day like this calls for some comfort food. I made chocolate oatmeal energy balls last night, so sweets are covered. The only thing missing is something cheesy. Enter the Easy Vegan Macaroni and Cheeze recipe from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. I just did a quick Google search for "the best" vegan mac and cheese and this is what popped up. Oh, and guess what? It's absolutely delicious! Creamy and "cheesy," even better than the boxed stuff - vegan or otherwise. Give it a try. It's perfect for this Fall weather, and I'm 99.99% certain that I will be serving it on my Thanksgiving table this year.

EASY VEGAN MACARONI AND CHEEZE
(recipe by Susan Voisin, who writes at blog.FatFreeVegan.com)
"Besides being low-fat, this recipe is also low in sodium, so salt-lovers may need to add salt. The tahini adds a little fat but a lot of flavor; still, leave it out if you need a completely oil-free dish.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta (regular or gluten-free), cooked according to package directions
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup plain, fat-free soymilk (may use other non-dairy milk)
• 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons tahini (optional, but lends creaminess and flavor)
• 1 teaspoon mellow white miso (or additional salt)
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Put the pasta on to boil, according to package directions. While it’s cooking, blend water and all remaining ingredients together in a blender. When the pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and return the pasta to pan. Add the sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Add a little of the pasta water if more moistness is needed.
2. If the sauce is not as flavorful as you’d like, add a little more mustard and onion powder.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8 
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 303 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (10% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 54g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 316mg Sodium; 5g Fiber. Also, if you use nutritional yeast fortified with B-12, one serving provides 100% of the daily requirement of that vitamin."

C.H.U.D. C.H.I.L.I.

Why, yes, that is an edible C.H.U.D., complete with carrot claws and olive eyes. Is it too terrifying to eat, or too cute? I'll let you decide.

Happy MoFo, everyone! Let's get this month-long party started! 
The theme I'm working with is 80's horror films. And what better film to start with than C.H.U.D.?

I grew up in Waco, TX, and the only place to rent movies was at a place called Flicks, which was in a tiny converted house wedged between the Piggly Wiggly and a full-service gas station. I was a frequent Flicks customer. My PawPaw drove me there every Friday and Saturday and I would easily watch between 4 to 6 horror films every weekend. There really wasn't much to do in Waco, TX, in the 80s before you were old enough to drive. My grandparents weren't too savvy about the movie titles, and they never ventured into Flicks themselves, so they didn't have a clue what I was watching. Seriously, I saw The Exorcist (alone!) at ten years old. And The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And The Amityville Horror. And on and on and on... Am I scarred for life? Maybe, but the point is this: My middle-aged brain is now full of mildly useless trivia and quotes from all the horror movies I watched as a kid. And now I'm going to parlay that knowledge into fun recipes for the purpose of Vegan MoFo 2014. Woo Haw!

C.H.U.D. (1984)

C.H.U.D. - if you didn't already know - stands for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers. The movie is terrible, but a lot of fun to watch. This one is particularly special to me because it is the only horror film I ever watched with my grandparents in the room. I was horrified the entire time it played, but MeeMaw and PawPaw chuckled in the background and chatted with each other, probably just bored and wishing they were playing dominoes or something.

I really want to get my hands on the C.H.U.D. DVD because, apparently, there is a fantastic commentary track that is "better that MST3K" (according to a reviewer on the movie's IMDB page). Being a huge fan of MST3K, I need to find out if this is true. I suspect it might be, as Daniel Stern is one of the commentators and that guy is hilarious.

So, anyway, on to my first MoFo creation, C.H.U.D. C.H.I.L.I!

I topped my C.H.U.D. C.H.I.L.I. with sliced and browned
Tofurky Italian Sausages and fresh pico de gallo.

1 cup vegetable broth, or more as needed
Half a white or yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 red bell pepper, diced (can sub green if you're broke)
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large zucchini, peeled and chopped (don't peel if it's organic)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 28-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste 
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

• In a large pot, get your vegetable broth cooking over medium-high heat. Once it's pretty toasty, toss in your onion, garlic and carrots. Saute them in the broth until they begin to soften. This only takes a few minutes. Don't let your veggies turn to mush.
• Add the zucchini, bell pepper, jalapeno and spices. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add more broth if needed, just to keep things from sticking.
• Throw in your beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Cover and cook for about half an hour on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Dribble in some extra broth to get it to the texture you like. Some folks like thick chili, some like it runny. 
• When it's about ten minutes from being ready, toss in your cilantro. I like to give the cilantro just enough time to flavor the chili, but not overcook it so that it stays bright green and beautiful.
• Keep tasting and tweaking every now and then. You might want more spices or more beans. This chili is very forgiving. Just get it to the point that it tastes fantastic to YOU.
• I like to top my chili with sliced and browned sausages (Tofurkey's Italian Sausages are only $2.99 at Trader Joe's right now!) and fresh pico de gallo. You can also try some vegan sour cream or vegan cheese! Vegan queso is delicious on this too.
• Enjoy, and don't get too close to any steamy manholes.

That's So Corny!!

Corn gets a bad rap - and rightly so when it is consumed in its most notorious form, high fructose corn syrup. But straight-up corn, shucked right in your own kitchen, then boiled, grilled, or roasted, makes a fantastic side for a meal, or even a great snack.

Right now the price of corn is hitting it's spring and summer low. Just like my beloved avocados (which are 3 for a buck at Sprouts this week, by the way)! This is the perfect time to get to know corn. I'm seeing fresh ears for sale as low as 5 for a dollar. Experiment with roasting and grilling. Try swabbing on some butter and nutritional yeast, or some vegan mayo and paprika. Get crazy!

The best part is that it comes in it's own packaging, no waste! Just stick those shucked leaves and corn silk threads into your compost and let nature do the rest.

Or, if you're so inclined, you can make a corn-husk doll!

How about a corn cob pipe?

Now, don't even get me started on popcorn. Seriously, do NOT get me started. Oh dang, it's too late. I'm going there...

Homemade popcorn is the best stuff on earth, packed with fiber, antioxidants, and even a vitamin or two or three. Don't bother with that microwave junk. If the processed ingredients don't give you cancer, the chemical crud lining the bag sure as heck might.

The best way to cook up your popcorn is in an air popper, such as this.

But, if you don't have one of these bad boys, you can just pop it up in a large lidded pot with some high-heat oil (I use canola, but grapeseed would work too).

Here's a great instructional video about getting the perfect pop.

Oh, and let's not forget about the awesomeness of corn grits! Mmmmmmm...

Beer-Battered Onion Rings

These onion rings were a happy accident. And now I'm certain I'm going to make them every weekend as a special treat!
What happened was this... I was making the Beer-Battered Tofu recipe in Isa Chandra Mosokowitz's fabulous cookbook, Vegan Brunch*, and I just happened to have some batter left over. So, my husband suggested that I "pick any vegetable and fry it up in the batter." I had an organic onion sitting on my counter about to go smushy, and the rest is history! This was, of course, my first attempt at onion rings. I think I will cut them a lot thicker next time. But thick or thin, it doesn't really matter, they were great!

You will need...
1 to 2 large white or yellow onions, sliced and rings separated

And here's the recipe for the batter, from the cookbook Vegan Brunch:

Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold dark beer
1/2 cup cold water
Salt, for sprinkling

• Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Pour in about a half inch of oil. Proceed to make the batter.
• In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to combine the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder.
• Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the beer and water. Mix until thoroughly combined.
• Test the oil by dropping in a drop of the batter; if rapid bubbles form around it then the oil is not hot enough. If you have a thermometer then it should read between 325 - 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Okay that's the batter from the cookbook.
The rest is up to me. Here it goes...

• Dump as many onion rings as you think will fit into your frying oil into your batter and coat them thoroughly. Your hand are going to get messy!
• Gently slip the rings, one at a time, into the oil and try to keep them from being too crowded. Drop medium sized rings into the larger ones, and so forth, but don't pile them all on top of one another. 
• After a minute or so, flip the rings over and allow to fry on the other side. It won't take as long this time, just somewhere between thirty seconds and a minute.
• Allow cooked rings to drain on several paper towels. 
• If you're going to salt them, it's best to do it immediately after removing them from the oil, to help it stick. 
• Repeat with remaining rings.
• Then dip in ketchup and enjoy!

*If it seems like I'm yapping about Vegan Brunch a lot, it's because I've only had this cookbook in my possession for a couple of weeks. I know it's been around for several years, but it's new to me. And I am excitedly discovering all that it has to offer, which is a whole lot of yum!

BBQ Black Bean and Tofu Wraps

I was brutally hungry and on the hunt for something quick and easy this afternoon. I went searching through my pantry and found a lone can of black beans just itchin' to get cooked up and go into my belly. And I'm a Texas girl who sometimes misses good barbecue, so I'm always looking for ways to quell that craving (it's not the meat I crave, it's the sauce. Nom nom, barbecue sauce... drool, drool...) Now, voila! I present to you a barbecue-licious tofu wrap. In the words of Han Solo, "She may not look like much, kid, but she's got it where it counts." The same applies to these little cuties. Try them out. You won't be disappointed.

Spritz of oil x2
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
A few shakes of liquid smoke
Salt and black pepper
1 15.5oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14oz block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 large tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons, give or take, fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
8 corn or flour tortillas

• In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, molasses, mustard, soy sauce, sugar, liquid smoke, and salt and pepper to taste. 
• Heat a large non-stick or cast-iron pan, and spritz it with a light coating of oil. 
• Add the onion, and saute until soft.
• Add the beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and the BBQ sauce, stirring occasionally, until hot and well mixed. Set aside, cover, and keep warm. 
• Cut the tofu into quarter-inch strips. Heat and spritz another pan with oil. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown, turning as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• If you have a cast-iron skillet, I highly recommend using it to warm your corn tortillas over medium low heat. I do each of mine individually as I dress the wraps, and it makes all the difference. 
• To serve, divide the tofu strips among warmed corn tortillas. Spoon BBQ bean mixture on top, roll and enjoy! 

CLICK/SHOP/SUPPORT
Vegan Barbecues and Buffets

Vegetarian Barbecue

Cookin' Southern Vegetarian Style

Southern Style Breakfast Hash

You know how you occasionally get a craving to eat breakfast food at dinner time? Well, that's what happened to me tonight. I wanted hot, cowboy breakfast hash on a corn tortilla. I'd never attempted to do it vegan-style, so I was wary about what I was going to be able to come up with. But, oh man, it turned out great! I was so pleased. And it made a lot, so I get to have it for breakfast again in the morning. Woo hoo! Give it a try. Here's the recipe...

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/8 - 1/4 C water, as needed
1 14oz block extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and chopped
2 thick slices vegan sausage, pre-cooked according to package directions
1/2 C cooked brown or white rice (I used leftover Chipotle rice in this batch)
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15.5oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 C nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp all-purpose seasoning
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste

• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic. Saute over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add tofu, soy sauce and water. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
• Add all remaining ingredients, except sausage, and saute until combined and hot. 
• Add sausage and stir. Add more water, if needed, a Tbsp at a time, to prevent sticking.
• Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and all ingredients and nice and hot. 
• I like to serve with warmed corn tortillas and vegan butter.
• Enjoy!

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Hearty Vegetable Stew

This is actually more of a fall/winter dish, but I happened to have some potatoes about to buy the farm, so I got busy makin' stew! This is a really hearty, filling bowl of stew. It's great if you throw some homemade dumplings in (which is usually how we eat it), but some toasted bread with butter throws it right over the top too. Use the toast to soak up the "gravy" left behind in your bowl. It's so yummy!

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced (or more, to taste)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 cups no-chicken broth or vegetable broth, divided
1/4 cup + 1/8 cup organic all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
Leaves from a sprig of fresh rosemary (optional)
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste

• Heat oil in a large pot.
• Saute onion and garlic over medium heat until soft. 
• Add potatoes. Add water in 1/8 cup increments (up to 1 cup), if needed, to keep potatoes from sticking.
• While potatoes are softening, chop and add remaining vegetables.
• Add 3 cups of broth to pot and stir. 
• Add soy sauce and spices.
• In a separate bowl whisk together remaining 1 cup broth and flour. Add mixture to stew and stir.
• Cover pot. Allow to simmer over medium heat until all vegetables are soft. Generally only takes about fifteen minutes.
• Enjoy! 

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THIS RECIPE HAS MOVED!

FIND IT HERE.

Easy 3-Bean Chili

 

This takes only a few minutes to get it going, it's jam-packed full of fiber, and it's delicious! What more can you ask for?
If you're really daring, pile in some corn chips for an old-fashioned Southern Frito Pie.

1/8 C olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced, to taste
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1 15oz can black beans, drained
1 15oz can kidney beans, drained
1 15oz can pinto beans, drained
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp all-purpose seasoning (I used Simply Organic)
1/2 tsp powdered cocoa (just trust me on this)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
dash of ground black pepper
vegan cheddar cheese, shredded (optional) 

• Heat olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet. Add onions and garlic, cook until soft.
• Add remaining ingredients.
• Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. 
• Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until desired consistency is reached. I usually let it simmer for about half an hour, but you probably don't have to wait that long if you're really starving!
• Ladle into bowls and top with shredded vegan cheddar, to taste.

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Country-Style Mac and "Nooch" Casserole

This delicious dish came about completely by accident when I was trying to make my classic Creamy Mac N "Nooch" Casserole and discovered that I had run out of soy sauce. Instead of dashing to store to buy some, I made a few adjustments and turned out what tastes like something you'd eat at a country barbecue picnic. It was really yummy! Give it a try.

1 lb macaroni noodles (quinoa elbows work great!)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1 cup veggie or no-chicken broth
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or whichever oil you prefer)
1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast ("nooch")
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1/8 cup fresh or dried parsley (optional)

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1 box silken firm or extra-firm tofu

1/2 cup Japanese bread crumbs

5 slices of cooked vegan bacon, chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper

• Heat oven to 350 degrees
• Prepare noodles according to package directions.
• In blender combine all ingredients (except noodles, bacon and bread crumbs)
• Pour liquid mixture over cooked noodles and stir together. 
• Put the whole mess into a casserole dish and top with bread crumbs and chopped bacon
• Stick in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove and enjoy.

Quick & Easy Vegan Comfort Food

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Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food

Classic Black-Eyed Peas

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

I've made a lot of resolutions this year, both personal and family-related (meaning my husband and I thought of them together and they concern our whole family) and, naturally, quite a few of my resolutions concern food. Since this is a food blog, I won't bore you with the details of the non-food related resolutions, but I thought I should include you in those concerning food as they will obviously affect the types of recipes I will be posting. Here's what we're looking at for the coming year...

2010 NEW YEAR'S (FOODIE) RESOLUTIONS

• Go sugar-free, replacing sugar with stevia and agave whenever possible. I want to experiment with brown rice syrup, maple syrup and date sugar too.
• Go caffeine-free, period.
• Experiment with raw food recipes.
• Eat every meal at the table, eating slowly and savoring, remembering all the while to be thankful.
• Stop using the microwave (I'll explain this in a later post). 
• Stop using white flour. Experiment with whole grain flours. My husband and I both really want to learn how to bake healthy breads, and I want to learn how to do the sprouted grain thing too.
  
• Make Sunday our food prep day. Pre-cut veggies and pre-mix sauces based on a pre-planned menu. My husband and I are going to sit down weekly and sort out a menu together before going grocery shopping in the hopes that this, combined with 'Food Prep Sunday,' will make our lives just a bit easier during the week.
  
• Gifts for friends and family will consist of things we make or bake. We spent way too much money we didn't really have on gifts this year. I have some excellent vegan cookie recipes that I want to try out as gifts for friends. I'm also thinking of bottling my Corn & Black Bean Salsa as a gift. We had  friends visiting from Austin right before Christmas this year and they went nuts for the stuff. I think they'd probably appreciate homemade salsa more than some dust-collecting trinket I might pick up for them at a store any day!
• And, lastly, I want to clean up my herb garden and make better use of it in the coming year. I've had a lovely herb garden growing in my back yard for the last six years, but ever since my little one came along, I've let it get overgrown and I haven't been using the herbs much. The garden contains oregano, rosemary, chives, mint, and Italian parsley. I will teach Lila how to garden and we'll make a fun game of it this Spring!

Well, I know that's quite a handful of foodie resolutions, but they are all very doable and are going to lend to my ultimate goal of getting healthier, feeling better, and teaching my daughter how to live simply. So, they're totally worth it! In the meantime, here's my simple recipe for Classic Black-Eyed Peas. Ya gotta eat your black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for luck!

16oz dried black eyed peas
32oz (1 QT) vegetable broth (I used Imagine Organic Low-Sodium)
2 C water
1 large white or yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T paprika
1 T dried or fresh parsley (I used dried)
1 T salt (use fine sea salt if you have it)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
Pinch of cayenne pepper

• Sort and rinse your beans. I sit at the table and scoop the sorted beans right into a collander a handful at a time, then go straight to the sink with 'em. 
• Place beans into a large soup or stock pot and cover with about two inches of water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover. Just let them sit for an hour or so. This is the "quick soak" method.
  
• Drain beans into collander and rinse again.
• Now throw all of the ingredients listed above into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer, covered, for three to four hours or until beans reach desired consistency for you. I like mine really soft, so I let them cook for a long time.
  
• Be sure to remove the bay leaf before serving!

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